Siren's Song
by LordByronMudkippington
Summary: For weeks, Ruby has been entranced by the singing of an unknown woman. Her voice comes from the lighthouse, which has had many rumors about it over the years. None have ever been substantiated, but Ruby will take it upon herself to be the first. She has to know just who has this voice that's captivated her so.


For weeks, Ruby had ventured to the seawall at night. She would lean against the railing and listen to the most beautiful song she had ever heard. Whenever it would reach her ears, the haunting melody would shake her to the core. The singing she would hear was not something she could find anywhere else. No one in any of the taverns she ventured into had her voice, and none of the poets in the more elegant side of town had words to match hers. It was as if this woman was speaking to her very soul, and she could hear the song playing like a record in her mind every night when she went to sleep.

At first, she hadn't known where the voice came from. She had just been walking across the seawall one night when she heard it. When she realized what she was hearing, she was stopped right in her tracks. For a good five minutes, she just stood in place and listened. Her eyes would widen and her lips would part in surprise at what she was hearing. She hadn't even cared to wonder in that moment where it was coming from. It was more important to absorb the incredible sound: to imprint it onto her brain so that she would never forget it.

Seven days would pass, and each night she found herself returning to the same spot. She hadn't thought about why she was doing it initially: it was as if her feet were leading her there without any input from her. On the fourth day, she realized that she had become addicted to the woman's song. She hadn't been able to get it out of her head, as it was stuck there like the strongest adhesive. The best part of her day had become her walk down to the seawall, where she could close her eyes and forget about any troubles that may have befallen her. When she was there, it was no one but her and the mysterious singer, whoever she may be.

Once the first week had bled into the second, she finally realized that the singing was coming from the lighthouse. It was an old structure standing on a tiny island of rock some distance from land. The age of it couldn't be seen clearly from the shore, but it had been around for over a century. Its light, blinking across the often-lonely waters, had glowed unceasingly for as long as she'd been alive. There was supposedly a worker who lived in the lighthouse, being paid by the city council to keep the place in order for the rest of his life. That's what she'd heard growing up, anyway.

She didn't believe it, though. There was no way that voice came from a grizzled old lighthouse attendant. She wasn't the only one who didn't believe it, though, and that wasn't the only rumor that got around. Some said that there wasn't a lighthouse attendant at all. It had been abandoned for decades, and now the place was haunted. On occasion, its light would shut off as a ship came into port, guiding it right to ruin. She wasn't sure that she believed that either, though. Last she checked, there'd only been a couple of accidents that were boat-related, and neither of them had to do with the lighthouse suddenly going dark.

Who was up there, though? She didn't know, and she suspected that nobody in their town did either. It was a mystery that nobody dared to uncover. She couldn't judge them for their hesitance, as she hadn't bothered to go there either. Instead, she'd just lean against the guardrail and listen to the beautiful song, getting lost in the sorrowful message it spoke to her. It tugged at her heartstrings, but something had always held her back. Even if she didn't believe in the stories about the lighthouse, she had to admit that she was spooked by it. She could still remember her uncle telling her that bad kids got sent over there by rowboat, and they always came back _very_ different. It was a place she had never wanted to be sent to.

As the weeks went by, her reluctance to venture over there started to fade. She had gotten into her own head, believing that there _had _to be a woman in there. If so, maybe she was trapped, and her singing was the only way of communicating that she needed help. No one had ever mentioned hearing the song, but maybe they just weren't listening hard enough. Then again, perhaps they were hiding the truth out of worry for how they would be received. She had kept it a secret this long herself, at first because she worried anyone she told would find her crazy. Eventually, she came to realize that she wanted to believe that the song was for her and her alone. Telling someone else might ruin that illusion, and then she would never be gifted with that beautiful voice again.

Now she felt that she couldn't keep it a secret any longer. If there really was someone trapped there, any more time wasted could spell doom for them, and it was up to her to be their rescuer. There was only one person in her life that she trusted above all else to not judge her too harshly for any fantastical tales she might tell. This was also one of the only people who could help her get to the lighthouse unimpeded. So one day, with the song of the mysterious maiden stuck in her head, she went to talk to her big sister Yang.

"Rubes, I love ya, but you're crazy." She frowned as Yang dismissed her right away. Her sister had always been overprotective ever since her mom died, but she was prone to the occasional wild streak. There had been things she'd done that Ruby felt were justifiably crazy. Now she was being told that when _she _wanted to do something that maybe was a little insane, she couldn't do it. That didn't seem fair to her, and she wasn't prepared to stay silent about it.

"You haven't heard her song, Yang! It's beautiful, and that means the lighthouse can't be empty! It certainly isn't some old man. She's there, and I'm going to rescue her!" She thought it best to leave out the selfish part of her heroic desires. If she was the one to save this woman, then they would be forever grateful to her. Maybe they had nowhere to go, allowing them to live together! Every morning she could wake to the velvety tones of that wonderful voice... Okay, she was getting ahead of herself. "Come with me to the seawall tonight. You'll hear her song, and you'll understand what I mean."

Yang exhaled deeply, running a calloused hand through her long, blonde mane. "I suppose it couldn't hurt... If only to make you realize that this is madness, and you should under no circumstances go out to that lighthouse." That seemed agreeable, if only because Ruby was confident that Yang would change her tune when they got over there. She couldn't imagine anyone hearing that song and remaining unaffected.

So that night, the two of them ventured to the seawall. She took Yang to the spot she loved to stand at, as it gave her what she felt was the best view of the lighthouse. The two of them leaned over the railing, waiting to hear the haunting melody. Yang was looking over at Ruby, seeing how eager she was. Her fingers were tapping against the railing, and she was chewing on her lower lip, which was an old habit she did when she was nervous. Honestly, Yang wasn't sure which of them being right would be worse.

They stood there for a minute, but each second that ticked by felt like an eternity to Ruby. She kept worrying that the maiden wouldn't sing that night, and she would seem insane for thinking that it existed at all. Maybe she _was _insane... She'd been so caught up in wanting to find the source of the voice that she hadn't stopped to think of the improbabilities. How could anyone be alive in there for weeks without supplies? Unless they came to shore under the cover of night, and somehow no one noticed them or stopped to ask who they were should they enter a store. They likely didn't have legal tender to purchase anything, so that would make them a thief...

"Woah..." Yang's quiet exclamation drew her back from the edge of a tangential tumble. She had been so distracted by her own mind that she hadn't noticed the singing, but she was attuned to it now. Her eyes widened, and then she broke out into a big smile. She could see Yang staring out to the ocean, a subtly surprised look on her face. That meant she had to have heard it! She wasn't crazy!

"You heard it right? Right?!" She clung onto Yang's arm, looking up at her with an excited look in her eyes. It was borderline crazed, but she wasn't aware of what vibe she was giving off. This was exactly what she had been hoping for! Now there was no way Yang could say no to her!

"I do..." Yang looked positively perplexed. She could scarcely believe that she was hearing someone singing. It truly was a beautiful voice, but could it really be coming from the lighthouse? There was no way a voice, no matter how loud, could travel across the sea like that. It would die within the air, lost in the fog that tended to settle on the waves when a storm was approaching. There was something about this that she didn't like. She didn't know exactly _what_, but she just knew there was something funny about this. "Ruby, under no circumstance should you go to that lighthouse."

"What?! But you heard her!" She let go of Yang's arm, stunned at the rejection. After all this, she was _still_ forbidden to go to the lighthouse? This wasn't about her own safety: it was about saving that woman! "How can we just leave her there to suffer when we know she's there?!"

"Doesn't this seem just a _wee _bit suspicious? You only heard this a few weeks ago, right?" She nodded, able to remember that day as clear as if it had happened that morning. "How would she have even gotten there? If someone had gotten shipwrecked, surely it would've been seen and there would've been a patrol sent out to fetch them. Nobody's been out there in decades, and nobody _will _go out there 'til that light burns out." Yang was a proponent of a third idea about the lighthouse's occupant: there wasn't one. The light being used there was good enough to run for years and years and years. Eventually it would burn out, and _then _someone would go replace it. Until then, it was just a silent monolith. No attendant, no ghost. Nothing.

"It's only suspicious because you were predisposed to believe it was suspicious!" Yang just stared at her, wondering where in the world those words came from. She hadn't even known Ruby was that philosophical. "No one is willing to help her, but _I_ am! I'm an adult now, Yang. You can't keep treating me like I'm a little kid anymore. If I want to go to that lighthouse, then I'll go to that lighthouse!" She crossed her arms, trying to look as serious and adult as possible. In her mind, she knew she was acting a tad petulant, but it was her only recourse at this point.

"I know you're an adult, but that doesn't mean you have to do stupid things! Haven't you seen me do enough of that to last you a lifetime?" Yang was visibly frustrated, running her fingers through her hair before flaring it out. "I'm not telling you to stay here because I don't think you can't handle yourself. I'm telling you to stay here because I'm worried something will happen to you, and I'm not letting you leave like mom did!"

"Yang..." She felt the anger rush out of her, blown out like a tiny flame in the breeze. While she had gained painful closure on her own mom's fate, Yang's left her with nothing of the sort. She had just disappeared without a trace when Yang was an infant, and nobody knew what happened to her. It had left Yang with bitter resentment, and though she'd always refused to talk about it, Ruby was able to tell it still hurt. "I'm not going to do that. You know that I'd come back."

"You don't know that! You have no idea what could be waiting out there for you!" Yang looked like she was about to rip her hair out, but she just curled her hands into fists and let them hit her hips instead. "If you went out there and got lost, or god forbid _died_, then I would never forgive myself. We've already lost too much... I'm not losing you too. That's not happening."

"I'm sorry..." She lowered her head, feeling guilty and defeated. Making Yang believe she would leave like her mom wasn't her intention, but that didn't make her feel any better. She'd been so sure that if Yang heard the woman's voice, then she'd understand why she was so determined to go out there. Apparently it hadn't hit Yang quite as hard as it had her.

"Come on, let's go home." That tone meant there was no more room for discussion. Hanging her head, she silently followed Yang back home. As she was walking away from the seawall, she paused when she heard the maiden's melody again. She looked towards the lighthouse, its light just a twinkle in the distance. It felt so much closer, though... "Ruby!" Biting down on her lower lip, she tried to put the song out of her mind as she trudged the rest of the way home.

That was an impossible task, though. Its melody swam through her head all night, and a blurry vision of the trapped maiden haunted her dreams. She wouldn't be able to escape it until she found out exactly what was going on. Even if she had to go against her sister's wishes.

* * *

The next morning, she waited until Yang had gone into town before scurrying out of the house. When she found herself unable to sleep the night prior, she knew that she had to disobey Yang. Hopefully she could get to the lighthouse and back without anyone noticing, but there was a good chance her disappearance would be discovered before then. That was something she was just going to have to accept, though. Any punishment that Yang saw fit to dole out would be taken without complaint, but this was something she just had to do. With a couple snacks hidden in her hood, she ran down to the docks.

One of her friends kept their rowboat tied to the docks, but she'd been given permission to use it before. She'd never rowed it very far out, but she was prepared for it. There was no way she was going to back down, no matter how arduous the journey might be. She stepped down into the boat and untied its rope, pulling it off of the dock and tucking it away under the bench. Then she sat down in the middle, grabbed the oars, and began to row.

It wouldn't have taken nearly as long if she'd taken one of the bigger boats, with its motor and all. She didn't own one, though, and she couldn't imagine anyone allowing her to borrow theirs. Those were the more expensive boats, and their owners were pretty protective. She couldn't steal one in good conscious, though. Especially if there was a chance she might not bring it back unscathed. She was already going to be in a heap of trouble for leaving in the first place. It was best not to add 'ruining someone's expensive boat' to her trouble tab.

To make sure she didn't tire herself out, she made sure to row at a steady pace. She didn't want to tucker herself out too quickly, or she'd end up stranded on the open waters. Because of that, the trip was taking longer than she'd hoped. She didn't have anything on her to tell the time, but it felt like she'd been out there for hours. With nothing to do and no one to talk to, she was bored out of her mind mere minutes into her journey. Talking to herself could only alleviate so much of that boredom, and the rhythmic motion of the oars was putting her to sleep.

As she got closer to her destination, the fog started to settle around her. She gulped nervously, knowing that more than likely a storm was coming. In an old wooden boat like this, she'd be in real trouble if anything more than a light drizzle hit. Looking over her shoulder, she wondered if she should turn around and go back. The shore seemed farther from her position than the lighthouse did, though. Besides, she would've completely wasted her day if she turned back now. On top of that, there was a decent chance that Yang had found out she was gone. Once she came back home, she would probably never be allowed to leave her sister's sight for the foreseeable future. She couldn't go back yet. Not until she'd learned the secrets the lighthouse kept.

She reached the shore before the worst of the storm could hit. It had started raining, but not hard enough to be much of a burden. There was a wooden pike on the side she reached, but it had been splintered in half. It wasn't usable for her to tie her boat up, and there wasn't anything around that could help either. With no other options, she rowed until she could step out on the rocky island, then heave the boat onto land. Hopefully it wouldn't slip back into the water, and she watched it for a good minute, looking for any signs of slippage. It seemed as secure as it was going to be, so she let it be and made her way to the lighthouse.

The structure was more intimidating up close. It was so much taller than it appeared from the shore, and moss grew from varying cracks around its façade. Time had not been kind to it, that was for sure. If anyone actually lived there, they weren't taking care of the outside. Then again, what would be the point? Any building materials would have to come from the shore, and that seemed like quite the arduous task for something very few would ever see up close. She couldn't blame them for letting the place rot. Hopefully the inside was a bit more inviting.

Pulling the snacks out of her hood, she flipped it up to keep the rain from getting her hair too wet. The drizzle had steadily grown stronger as she'd reached the island, and it was practically pouring in no time at all. It slickened the ground, making it that much harder to get over the rocks that looked a bit too jagged for her liking. Though she slipped a couple times, she avoided complete disaster and made it to the door on the other side wet but intact.

Once she was inside, she slammed the door shut behind her, shaking herself violently to try and dry off. It was a vain attempt, but she figured it was worth a shot. Pulling her hood back down, she started to munch on her snacks and take in her surroundings. For how imposing the lighthouse had seemed from a distance, it didn't look all that big on the inside. The base was almost completely empty, except for a wooden chair and a desk with a single lit candle on it. Books were scattered on the desk as well as the floor, but the dim lighting obscured their titles. She hadn't come here to read anyway.

Her eyes rested on a long, winding staircase that went up for what seemed like miles. She didn't even want to think of how many steps she would have to climb, but she took a deep breath and steeled her resolve. This was for the maiden! A hero was not deterred by mere stairs, no matter how many of them there were! She puffed out her chest and started to walk up the stairs, looking forward at the winding path she was to take. The sound of her footsteps echoed loudly in the empty structure, draining the air right out of her chest. It was pretty unnerving, especially when she was all alone...

She wasn't alone, though. The maiden was up at the top, waiting for someone to come rescue her. Using that thought to buoy her confidence, she kept climbing up step by step. She passed by a small window, allowing her to see what was going on outside. Storms happened in their town from time to time, but she was surprised to see how ferocious this one looked. The fog was dark and dense, as if the storm clouds had descended to let her know of their existence. Rain was pounding the rocks below, and the wind blew some of it through the window. She had to take another step up to avoid it being blown into her face.

"It's really coming down out there..." She wasn't looking forward to rowing back in that weather. It would be safer to stay inside and wait it out, though staying longer than necessary in the dark, creepy lighthouse wasn't appealing to her in the slightest. While she wasn't too far up the stairs, she could already see the effects of straying too far from the candlelight. If the window wasn't next to her, she would've been cast into near-darkness. Looking up, she couldn't even see the stairs anymore. It was like she was about to walk right up into a black abyss. She _really _didn't want to stay there any longer than necessary.

Lightning cracked loudly, sounding as if it was striking right next to the lighthouse. She squealed and jumped in the air, thankfully landing back on her feet without too much wobbling. Okay, she was definitely going to have to wait it out. This was quite the predicament she'd gotten herself into, and she could already hear Yang mixing 'I told you so's' into her fretting. She hadn't known it was going to storm this bad, though! Besides, she was already there, so there was no point in dwelling on what she couldn't change. There were more steps to climb, and a maiden to rescue.

She didn't know how long it took for her to climb all those stairs. It honestly felt like at least an hour had passed, but she had a feeling that her sense of time had been altered with how boring it was. The only thing that gave her a break was the booming thunder outside, and the occasional window was the only light she had. For the rest of her climb it was pitch black, and she had to tread carefully. One wrong step and she'd go plummeting back down to the ground.

It took too long for her liking, but she finally reached the top. As she had gotten closer, she'd been frozen in place by the sound of singing. There was no doubt that it was the maiden. Her heart soared, and she had to force herself not to run up the remaining steps. She was wracked with impatience, even if there weren't many stairs left to climb. The maiden was almost in sight, though, and she just couldn't wait a moment longer!

When she reached the top, she was finally able to see light. It was coming from a large window, and standing with her arms crossed upon the sill was the maiden. With her back to Ruby, she could see that the women had snow-white hair, braided up and running down her back. She wondered if it was as silky-smooth to the touch as it looked.

"Uh, hey!" The maiden didn't seem to have noticed she was there. She was just singing out into the storm, but Ruby's words grabbed her attention. When she turned around, Ruby felt her tongue twisting into a knot. The beauty of this woman had stolen the words - and the breath - right from her throat. Her bright blue eyes were widened in surprise, likely at Ruby's sudden appearance. They held an irresistible allure that wouldn't allow her to look elsewhere, and the paleness of her face only served to make them stand out further. She was hypnotized.

"You heard my song." She seemed to be in complete disbelief. That was what shook Ruby out of her trance. It made her sad, wondering how long the woman had been stuck up here, singing her song and having no one hear her. No one coming to recuse her. It was about time that changed, though. She was there now, and she was going to rescue this beautiful - really, _really _beautiful... - maiden!

"I did. I've been listening to it for weeks, and it's the most beautiful song I've ever heard." She noticed the woman's cheeks start to turn red at the compliment, and she couldn't help but smile. "I've got so many questions, though. Who are you? How did you get here? Why could I hear you singing from all the way back in town?" She bit down on her lip to keep herself from continuing on with her barrage of questions. "I'm sorry. I know that was a lot to ask for our first time meeting."

"It's alright," the woman replied with a soft smile. "I haven't been able to speak with anyone except for my sister for so very long. It feels unusual to hold a conversation with someone from the shore, but I'll do my best." She took a few steps forward, then sat down on the floor, crossing her legs and looking up at Ruby expectantly. Realizing that she was supposed to sit as well, she came over and sat opposite her, waiting to hear more about this woman who so captivated her.

"My name is Weiss, and I've lived here for my entire life. My father put me here when I was born to keep me away from the temptations of mortal men. This lighthouse and the ocean is all I've ever known." There was a tinge of sadness in her eyes as she spoke of the sheltered life that she had been forced to lead. It made Ruby sad to think that Weiss had never been allowed to step foot outside this tiny island she called home. "My sister has come to visit me on occasion and tell me of the world. It all sounds so fantastical. I wish I could see it with my own eyes."

"Do you not have a boat?" It was only now that she thought about how she hadn't seen another transportation vessel on the island. However, there was the other side of the lighthouse that she hadn't seen. It could've been hosted over there. She could've taken it to shore, then. Ah, but she'd been placed there as a child... "Right, of course you wouldn't... Oh, but I have one! Let me take you back to the town when the storm blows over! It'll be really cool, and you can see everything that you've never been able to see before!"

"That isn't possible." She stood up and walked back over to the window, returning to her previous brooding. Ruby hurried to get up and follow her. "My father would never allow me to leave. The storm we are surrounded by is surely his fury at your arrival." She looked over at Ruby, who had taken a spot on her left. "I apologize. My song has led you here, and you will certainly perish for it." Her eyes shut for a moment, and when they opened again Ruby could see genuine sorrow in them. It made her feel that same sorrow in her heart, but not for her own potential end.

"Let me talk to your dad, then! I've been told that I'm good at wearing people down until they agree with me." She had not expected Weiss to start laughing. "What? What'd I say?"

"Oh, again, my apologies. This is just that mortal humor my sister has told me about. The idea of you convincing my father to let me leave is humorous." Ruby pouted deeply, which brought the laughter to an immediate halt. "Oh dear, I've offended you, haven't I? I did not realize you were serious. It would be best if you were to be joking, though. My father is an angry being, and your words will surely just anger him further. He does not like to be disturbed by issues so trivial." Her hand automatically went up to her left eye, where a long scar ran from her forehead down to her cheek. She quickly yanked it down, but it didn't escape Ruby's notice. It made her feel a surge of anger, knowing that there was an implication in Weiss's words that she did not like.

"That's not fair, though! You don't deserve to be locked up here just because your dad thinks... I don't even know what his deal is! He's mean, though, and you shouldn't have to live your whole life like this!" She'd never met Weiss's dad before, but she already knew that she didn't like him. Nobody's parents should be allowed to treat their kids like this.

"I'm not going to be here forever." That stopped Ruby, transforming some of her anger into confusion. She wanted to ask what exactly Weiss was talking about, but she kept silent. Weiss would likely explain if she just gave her the chance. "Soon, my father will allow me to leave here and I'll be able to live among the mortals. It is his will that once I'm ready, I'll use my song to control the minds of mortal men for his own purpose."

"What?" Ruby's jaw dropped. Weiss's father had kept her locked in this lighthouse until he could use her song to control people? Wait, why did she keep saying 'mortal' men? Did that mean she _wasn't _mortal? And how would she be able to control people with her singing anyway? She'd thought that she'd had plenty of questions when she'd initially gotten there, but that seemed like child's play now. All of the _new _questions she had, on top of the old ones, were threatening to drown her beneath their waves. "You're... going to control people?" That was the only question she could get out for the moment.

"That's not a choice I get to make." Weiss sighed quietly, sticking one of her hands out the window. Rain battered her palm, but she didn't seem to mind. "I don't want to do anything of the sort, but I cannot go against my father's wishes. He will make me do it, regardless of what I may personally want." She gently moved her hand back and forth, watching the rain fall on and around it.

It was so unfair that Ruby couldn't stand it. She was at a loss to understand how someone could have a daughter so beautiful, with such a gifted voice, and an obvious capacity to learn, and want to abuse that. To abuse _her_. That scar was the only blemish on her perfect self, but... Looking at it, she couldn't say that even _that_ was a blemish. Somehow, the scar only made her look more beautiful. It was alluring in a way, though she didn't want to know _why _it felt that way. Maybe... Maybe it was still perfect because _Weiss _was perfect. A perfect, incredible woman... only to be left to waste away her life in an old lighthouse. It really, _really_ wasn't fair.

"I'll do what I can to plead with him to let you go unimpeded." She smiled faintly, though the sadness in her eyes was all Ruby could notice. "If I should fail, and you meet your end here, then I would understand if you never forgave me in the afterlife. I will carry the scars of what I have done with me." Something about her saying scars triggered an emotion inside Ruby. She didn't really have a name for it, but it was that emotion that always made her act recklessly. Most people would not do something like that for someone they just met, but she had already been reckless by going there in the first place. She could fit another spot of recklessness in.

"There will be no grudges today! I'm not dying here, and you're not staying here." She grabbed Weiss's hand, surprised by how cold it felt. Her skin felt unnaturally cold, even. At the same time, it made her feel a warmth that she didn't have time to try and understand. "Let's go back to town!" She was excited by the idea of getting to show Weiss around the town, but the snowy maiden seemed more resistant to it.

"I can't go! My father will be furious!" Her eyes were wide and filled with fear. Whatever her dad had done to her had really messed her up. Even for a happy, forgiving person like Ruby, _that _was unforgivable. She couldn't let him continue to have control over Weiss. Despite her resistance, she wasn't prepared to give up.

"He's just going to keep you in here until he can make you take over everyone's minds! Even if you could convince him to let me leave, how can I forget that?" She stared deeply into Weiss's eyes, nearly getting lost in them and forgetting everything she wanted to say. Her convictions kept her grounded, though. "This is about more than me. It's about my family back home now. My friends. The entire world! I know you don't want to do what he demands of you." She took Weiss's hand in between her own, smiling warmly at her. "I will keep you safe, and you can be with all us mortals. You can experience everything you've missed out on without worrying about what he might do to you."

Weiss stared at her for a moment, one that felt like a lifetime. Now that she had said her piece, she couldn't help but to finally get lost in those eyes. If she could do this with just a look, one could only imagine the great and terrible things she could do with that voice. There was no way she was going to allow Weiss's dad to weaponize her, though. If her dad wanted a fight, he'd get one! She usually didn't condone hitting one's elders, but she'd make an exception for him.

"Your heart is so pure... You would risk yourself for me, and for others who would never know that you did so." She shook her head slightly, but she visibly relaxed in front of Ruby. "I would like to see the shoreline." While she didn't say it outright, it was as clear an indicator as any that she was willing to follow her reckless rescuer.

"Then we'll see the shoreline together." Ruby smiled at Weiss, though her face was in the process of turning bright red. That whole 'your heart is so pure' comment had gotten her all flustered, but it made her happier than even she understood. She'd just met Weiss, but her words held more weight than from most that she'd known for years. Having heard her song for weeks, it felt like they knew each other more than they actually did. At least, _she_ felt that way about Weiss, and it was a feeling that she couldn't shake. She was glad that she'd taken the risk in going to the lighthouse.

Suddenly, a loud roar shook the foundation. She fell flat on her back, yelping out as she found herself staring up at the ceiling. For a few seconds, she didn't move, paralyzed by confusion. By the time she was able to pick herself back up, Weiss was already on her feet and running towards the window. She got back up onto her feet, but another ear-splitting roar nearly sent her right back down. On shaky legs, she stumbled over towards Weiss and grabbed onto her shoulder.

"What was that?!" Weiss didn't react to her. She was staring out the window as if in a trance, though the fear in her eyes spoke volumes. Turning to try and see what had Weiss reacting like that, she felt a powerful shiver run down her back. In the distance, a large white tail was cutting through the fog and heading right for them. It appeared to be the size of a large boat all on its own, and that was from a distance. The storm seemed to grow in intensity due to its presence, the rain coming down harder than she had ever seen in her life. A continuous gust of wind whipped the rain into their faces, making her recoil from the window.

_"_WHAT WAS THAT?!_" _Her voice jumped up several octaves as she shrieked, making Weiss jump away from her in surprise. "Sorry, sorry!" She grabbed the windowsill and looked out again, seeing the tail getting closer still. Her body was shaking with the same fear that she imagined Weiss had been feeling. "Weiss, what is that thing?" She tried to be calm, but her voice wavered. That _thing _was getting bigger the closer it came, and all she could see was the tail. She didn't even want to know what was attached to it, lurking beneath the surface.

"That..." Weiss stepped back next to Ruby, taking a deep breath. "... is my father."

"YOUR DAD IS A SEA CREATURE?!_" _Okay, she hadn't been prepared for that one. She turned from the window to gape at Weiss, wondering if this was part of that humor she had learned from her sister. There was no break in her worried expression, though. So it was true... They were in danger, then. Any reason why Weiss's dad would be there wasn't good to begin with. With Ruby being there too, it was likely much worse. "We have to go."

"Go?" Weiss tilted her head, apparently having forgotten what they had just been talking about. There wasn't any time to jog her memory, though. Not with that monster heading right for them. She grabbed Weiss's hand and started pulling her towards the stairs, only meeting initial resistance before she seemed to finally understand the situation. Looking over her shoulder, she could see how scared Weiss was. Of her father, of leaving the only place she'd ever known. She had a sudden urge to make sure those negative energies no longer nested within her beautiful mind.

"Weiss, I'm going to protect you from your dad. We'll go to town together, and I'll show you the shoreline, just like you wanted." She placed both hands on Weiss's shoulders, putting all her efforts into looking as sincere and confident as possible. Her smile was wide, perhaps _too _wide, but it seemed to have an effect regardless. The tension that had settled on Weiss lessened somewhat. She wasn't able to give Ruby a smile, but she could at least nod her head once. "Alright, let's go."

She started heading down the stairs, keeping a hold on Weiss's hand to lead her through the dark. It was more imperative to be careful going down the stairs than up, but they no longer had that luxury. The more time they spent in the lighthouse, the likelier that they would be completely obliterated by that thing Weiss called a dad. She didn't even have time to figure out how a big fish-shark-whale thing could give birth to a human girl. That would have to be one of the approximately five hundred questions she would ask if they made it out alive.

As much as she wanted to push all distractions out of her mind, she couldn't. Her heart felt too weighty with guilt. She'd promised Weiss that she would keep her safe: that she would take her back to town and show her all the wonderful sights that she'd never gotten to experience. How could she think to make those promises? That thing... Weiss's dad... he was huge. There was no doubt in her mind that he had the power to crush them without a second thought. Her rickety little boat wasn't likely to survive a storm this heavy with_out _a gigantic monster chasing after them. They couldn't outrun him. There was no way. Weiss was right: her death was assured, and now she'd dragged Weiss into the line of fire too. She wasn't prepared for this...

Another roar shook the lighthouse, making the two of them have to hug the wall to avoid an untimely fall. She could feel Weiss's hand shaking in hers, and that gave her the resolve she needed. The chances of them getting out of there alive were slim to none, and she couldn't lie to herself about that. She'd made a promise to Weiss, though, and she had to do her best to see it through. There was no turning back, anyway. They were pretty much doomed regardless of what they did. She could only hope that there was some modicum of humanity in his soul that would keep him from immediately smashing his daughter - and her stupid savior - to the bottom of the sea.

Adrenaline coursed through her veins the closer they got to the bottom. It had to take over for her, as otherwise she might've been paralyzed with the fear that was lingering beneath it. Rain hit her side whenever they went past a window, reminding her of the nasty weather that awaited them outside. She wasn't looking forward to being soaked on impact, but there were much worse things on the horizon than some rain.

They touched down on solid ground, and Ruby raced for the door. She flung it open, pulling Weiss outside without giving herself time to hesitate. Immediately they were pelted with rain, soaking them to the bone instantly. It felt like she'd jumped into the ocean with all her clothes on, but worse because the raindrops _hurt_. They were larger than she'd ever seen, and they showed no mercy to either of them. She could hear Weiss whimpering behind her, but she couldn't stop to try and soothe her pain. As much as she wanted to, she could see that tail properly now, and it was _terrifying_. There wasn't time for even a single second of delay.

"RUBY!" She swore that she'd just heard her name, but that was impossible. Nobody was around to call it. It nearly did stop her in her tracks, but she was able to push on regardless. Nothing was going to stop her from getting to her boat... except for what she saw as they ran around the side of the lighthouse. Seeing a familiar boat on the water had her stopped dead to rights.

"YANG?!" She screamed over the wind, unable to believe what she was seeing. Yang and her boat were idling next to the rocky shore, with her sister standing at the bow. "What are you doing here?!" Her hair was blowing wildly in the wind, yet in these conditions, it made her look like a guardian angel.

"No time for questions! Get on the boat now!" She was right. This delay had already cost them. Gripping Weiss's hand tightly, she led her over the rocks as fast as the weather allowed. Both of them had trouble on the slick stones, with Weiss nearly tumbling to the ground several times. She would've pulled them both down, but luckily Ruby was able to hold her upright long enough to where they could reach Yang's boat safely. The water had risen up the rocks, leaving them standing ankle-deep on what had been semi-dry rock not too long ago.

Yang leaned over the railing and held out her hand, which Weiss took after a tense moment of hesitation. Her frailer form was easily hefted up by Yang, placing her on the bow before she went back for her sister. Ruby took hold of Yang's hand and pushed off the ground, letting herself be pulled up to the railing before she grabbed it and scrambled aboard. Before she had both feet on the deck, Yang had already ran to the captain's quarters. A moment later, the boat was cruising through the water, trying to put as much distance between them and the lighthouse as possible.

Ruby went over and held Weiss close to her, leading her towards the relative safety of the helm. She wasn't even thinking about how close the two of them were in that moment. All she wanted was to get her out of the rain, which was still pouring on them. The fog covered their tracks, as well as the path in front of them. She couldn't see more than a few feet in front of them, and she knew that Yang couldn't either. They were just sailing on blind faith at this point.

She pushed open the door to the captain's quarters, giving the two of them temporary relief from the rain. Yang didn't even acknowledge their presence, her grip tight and tense on the throttle as she tried her damnedest to bring them all to safety. She hadn't asked any questions, like why Ruby was at the lighthouse in the first place, or who the mystery woman was at her side. There didn't seem to be a good moment to ask any questions of her own either, like how Yang had known that she'd be there.

None of that mattered, though. They both knew that staying alive was the most important objective in that moment. If Yang hadn't shown up when she did, they would've been done for right off the bat. Before they had turned and raced away from the lighthouse, Ruby had noticed that her boat was no longer there. The water was lapping farther up the rocks, and it had likely taken the poor thing away. She was going to have to apologize _really _hard to her friend for that.

Thinking about their situation made her stomach drop, knowing that Yang was probably going to die too. She'd come out there to fetch her stupid, reckless little sister, and now she was going to have the same fate befall her. A few tears dripped down her cheeks, feeling so much guilt for what she had done. If only she had listened to Yang and just stayed at home. She looked over at Weiss, who was staring out at the sea with wide, frantic eyes. If she had the ability to do this whole scenario over, would she really change it at all? She shook her head slightly, knowing that it was likely her stupid ass would still row over there to try and save Weiss again.

"We can't outrun him..." Weiss broke their silence, which got both of the sisters' attention. She pointed out the window, her hand shaking. "He's coming." Ruby squinted, but she couldn't see anything through the fog. None of them could, but it seemed as if Weiss just _knew_ he would catch up to them. It made Ruby's shoulders sag in resignation. She'd been thinking the same thing, but she had tried holding onto a vain hope that Yang's appearance would save them. There really _was _no hope, though...

"Who exactly is 'he'?" Yang looked over her shoulder at the two of them, finally asking her first question. It was a pretty pertinent one, though. She likely hadn't seen that huge tail sticking out of the water, so she had no idea what was truly in store for them. Hell, she probably thought the _storm_ was what they were escaping from.

"It's a giant monster fish thing! It's really big, and it's way faster than this boat. We'll be caught before we reach the shore." Ruby decided to answer the question, as a giant sea creature was more believable than the truth. She didn't want to have to explain how that giant creature was actually Weiss's dad when they were in such a perilous situation, and she didn't want to tax Weiss further with that either. The poor girl was petrified enough without having to try and tell her life story in these conditions.

"Okay." Without asking any further questions, Yang grabbed Ruby and pulled her towards the controls. "Take over. I'll deal with that thing." Before Ruby could say anything, she had already walked out of the cabin and back into the storm. She headed for the stern, where a harpoon was mounted. Ruby watched her grab the handles of the gun and take aim, but she had to force her eyes back to the front. Their visibility was severely limited, but she needed her full attention on steering regardless.

"C'mon, you dastard..." Yang's whispered words were lost in the howling winds. She kept moving the harpoon gun from side to side, waiting for the creature to show itself. While she didn't know what exactly it was, something as big as Ruby described wouldn't be hard to spot. Then she saw it: a shadow of something cutting through the fog. She slid her hand down, ready to fire as soon as it showed its face. There was a hint of white, a wave of a tail, and then it disappeared.

"What the..." She bit down on her lip, desperately searching for a hint of the creature again. The ocean seemed deceptively calm, despite the rain that was constantly disturbing it. For a moment, she even thought that the monster had given up on pursuing them, but that didn't make sense. It had caught them: why would it give up now? A rumbling beneath the boat answered that question plain as day: it had not. "This is probably not good."

"Uh..." Ruby gulped, feeling the boat start to rock. It wasn't much more than what the choppy waves were already doing, but it was definitely noticeable. She looked back at Weiss, who was likely thinking the same thing. The boat rocked a bit more before it died down. She couldn't breathe, every muscle tensed as she waited for something to happen. Her grip was tight on the throttle, but she forced one hand off the dash so she could reach back and hold onto Weiss. Then there was a bone-rattling slam into the underside of the ship, and they were airborne.

"AAAHHH!" Ruby screamed at the top of her lungs. Her grip loosened as the boat tilted, with both her and Weiss falling against the wall. Partway up its arc, the monster's giant tail came out of the water and sliced right through the middle of the ship. The wood splintered and cracked like an ax cleaving through a log, leaving Ruby and Weiss on one side, and Yang on the other.

Ruby looked out the window, down to the water's below. For the first time, she really saw Weiss's dad. His head and part of his body had breached the surface, glowing white in the storm. She couldn't describe exactly _what _kind of creature he was. He appeared to be some kind of shark-whale hybrid, yet even that didn't seem to best describe him. In a way, his appearance had a beauty to it, with a similar sort of glow to his daughter. That beauty was drowned in how utterly terrifying he looked, though. His mouth was wide open, dozens of sharp teeth prepared to slice them to shreds as soon as they fell back down to the sea.

"We're all gonna die..." Ruby reached out for Weiss, grabbing onto her arm and holding it for dear life. Any confidence she may have had was gone, replaced by terror and resignation to her untimely demise. _Their _untimely demise. Weiss was going to die too, and Yang... She'd led them all to death, all because she just had to go be a hero. "I'm so sorry..."

"Come on, you ugly dastard!" Yang did not seem to share her little sister's pessimism. The boat being knocked into the air had almost sent her right into the ocean, or more likely into the monster's gaping maw. Her grip on the harpoon gun had saved her, though. For a moment, she was left dangling, her feet having slid off the deck. She used her strength to pull herself back up, until she could plant her feet on the gun's pole. Spinning the gun around, she aimed down at the monster. "Bring it on!" She screamed at the beast as she fired the harpoon at it.

Through skill or sheer luck, the harpoon struck the beast right below the eye. His aggrieved roar seemed to shake the sky itself, and he dived back under the water. That was the biggest relief any of them could feel, as the threat of being devoured whole had been temporarily removed from play. They could hit the water unimpeded, though that instance would come sooner for Yang. The harpoon was still stuck in the monster's body, so when he dived back beneath the waves, her half of the boat went down with him. She was barely able to push herself away from the gun before she slammed into the water.

"Yang!" That was the last thing Ruby could scream before her side of the boat hit the water. At least they were against the side of the wall that hit the water first, but she still banged her head against the window. At the same time, the window shattered on impact, slicing her cheek and arms with its shards. They stung, but she couldn't worry about that. Not drowning was a bit more important.

The stern-side wall had been cleaved off by the monster's tail, leaving a wide opening for water to pour inside. They had little time before the water dragged their quarters down, so she reached out for Weiss again. She was still next to her, her eyes bulging and her skin somehow looking paler than the ghost white pallor it had before. Tugging on her arm, Ruby dragged her out of the cabin and out into the open water.

"I can't swim!" Weiss gasped out, desperately clinging onto Ruby like a life preserver. In a calmer time, in a safer place, this might've been the highlight of Ruby's year. As it was, all she could think of was how much trouble they were in. They'd escaped the doomed ship, injuring Weiss's dad in the process, but he would return soon enough. The boat hadn't been able to outrun him: them trying to swim away from him was laughable. Weiss not being able to swim at all hindered them further, as her body was making it difficult for Ruby to stay afloat. They hadn't died on the boat, but they might just die in the same spot.

Yang suddenly popped out from under the water, gasping as she kept herself afloat. "Yang!" Ruby yelled over to her, grabbing her attention. The distress she was in was clear, and Yang immediately started swimming over towards her. She did her best to keep Weiss above water, but it was difficult. At least she wasn't in a complete panic: her kicking and writhing around would've already drowned them.

"Give her to me!" Ruby struggled closer to Yang, trying to pass Weiss off to her older sister. She reached out and grabbed Weiss, letting her cling to her instead. "Hold on, girl!" Despite having basically no idea who this woman was, Weiss seemed fine with holding onto her for dear life. The threat of death made most things become a lot more palatable.

Once Weiss was holding onto Yang, Ruby was able to start swimming for shore. At least, she was pretty sure she was going in the right direction. She'd been a bit rattled by the ship breaking apart, and the fog gave them no quarter. It was the only way she knew to go, though. Looking over her shoulder. she could see Yang swimming right behind her. Even while practically carrying another person, she still had the energy to move forward. How long would that last, though?

"We're not gonna make it!" Ruby wailed out. It was _still _hopeless! They weren't going to outswim Weiss's dad. Even if he didn't reappear, their arms would tire out, and they'd drown before reaching the shore. Everything was hopeless... It made her want to give up: just quit swimming and let death take her in its greedy grasp. Then she heard singing behind her. That beautiful voice she could never forget... Furrowing her eyebrows in confusion, she stopped swimming and turned around to see Weiss still clinging to Yang, singing her heart out.

Yang had stopped too, staring at Weiss as she sang. She looked completely baffled, and Ruby couldn't blame her. That was how she felt too. As much as she loved Weiss's voice, she didn't think a song was very appropriate for their situation. Except for maybe Taps... Though, if the last thing she heard was Weiss's wonderful warble, she could at least die semi-peacefully.

In fact, it made her feel more than peaceful. She could feel energy returning to her body. Her desire to just float there and die disappeared, replaced with a surprising amount of resolve to keep going. It seemed as if Yang was feeling the same way. Her eyes were wide, as if she didn't know what was happening. Then the two sisters looked at each other and nodded resolutely. Their death was all but assured, but they couldn't stay there and give up. If that monster was going to eat them, he wasn't going to have an easy meal.

They continued to swim, heading for what Ruby could only hope was the shore. She felt strangely light as she moved through the water. Her breathing remained steady, even though she'd been nearly hyperventilating before. There wasn't any exhaustion settling into her arms, either. The clothes on her back that might have weighed her down gave no impediment, no matter how soaked they had become. As the rain poured down on top of them, she felt as if she could swim for miles without pause. She had no idea where this sudden burst of energy came from, but she was incredibly thankful for it.

Yang quickly caught up with her, swimming _faster _than Ruby even as she dragged Weiss through the water. She'd always been the stronger swimmer of the two, but this was something else. Her eyes caught Weiss's, and she saw the faintest of smiles on her face. In that instant, she felt that somehow Weiss had something to do with their newfound energy. She had said her voice could control people... Could it also enable them to do things beyond their usual means?

"I see the shore!" The fog lifted before them, revealing the docks. Yang cheered, while Ruby felt a great weight lifting off her shoulders. She felt an even greater burst of energy, pushing her to swim faster. They were going to make it! Somehow, someway, they were going to get back to shore before Weiss's dad caught them. She decided to chance a glance over her shoulder, and her heart leaped into her throat. A large white fin was scarring the water behind them, and it was getting way too close for comfort. Okay, never mind: they were screwed.

Futility once again wrapped its shadowy arms around her, overwhelming her senses. What had she been thinking? Even if they got to shore, that _thing _wasn't going to stop pursuing them. He was massive! If he wanted, he could probably crush their town with several well-placed smacks of his tail. And she'd brought him there. Now _everyone _was going to die, and it was all her fault. All her fault...

The blow of a horn reached her ears, garnering her attention out to sea. She gasped at the sight of a boat heading right for them. That might be a good sign, but now she had to worry about getting eaten versus getting clocked in the head by the boat's bow. At first, she really hoped the ship would act as a distraction that would give them just enough time to get on land. Then she realized how selfish that was: that would certainly end anyone on that boat. It didn't look any stronger than Yang's, and that had gotten sliced in twain.

It was faster than she'd expected. The ship was already upon them just as she expected the monster to catch her. It just missed clipping her, putting itself between the three fleeing women and the monster that pursued them. She kept swimming as fast as she could, knowing that it would be foolish not to use the distraction, regardless of her own guilty conscience.

When she looked over her shoulder once more, she could see that a woman was standing on the side of the ship. She had long white hair, eerily similar to Weiss's, but she couldn't see anything more. Her back was to them, so she wasn't even sure what the woman was doing. Whatever she was thinking, it was awfully brave of her to try it. Brave _and _foolish, something she knew all too well.

There was singing in the air again. She thought Weiss had begun anew, but this wasn't her voice. It was quieter, but held a more mature presence. She felt a shudder go through her body: there was an underlying current of power in that quiet singing. It had her in a stupor, but she quickly shook herself out of it and headed for the docks. She needed to see what was happening, and her view from the water wasn't good enough.

When she got to the docks, Yang and Weiss were already standing up there. She pulled herself up, staring at the two of them. Their clothes were stuck to them, weighed down by all the water they accumulated. She was certainly in the same boat: if she put her hood on, she'd get completely doused. At least they were all okay. For the moment, they were safe there. How much longer that would be, she wasn't sure.

Even from the docks, she couldn't really see what was going on. The woman was still singing, but she had no idea what effect it was having on the monster. Since they all weren't being crushed, she had to imagine that it was a positive effect, but she needed to see for herself. Still feeling that boost of energy, she took off running, hitting the shore and running down the sand. She was the one who had brought that monster to their shores. Whatever was going to happen to him, she needed to see it with her own eyes.

The singing stopped as she got further down the shoreline, and she finally reached a point to where she could see what was happening. What she saw made her jaw drop: the sea had literally been parted! She couldn't see the bottom of the ocean, but she could definitely see the separation that had been made. How was this possible?! How could that woman have done this? It was... Well, it was completely unbelievable, but she'd been through several unbelievable events in the span of an hour or so. This was par for the course at this point.

A figure rose up from the parted sea. She thought it was going to be the beast, but instead it was a man. Just like the woman, his hair was completely white, though it was shorter and neatly combed. His face was somewhat obscured from Ruby's angle, but the tension emanating between the two was palpable. They were just staring at each other, neither one moving a muscle. Were they even blinking? She felt like she was about to be crushed by the tension!

"This is _not _over." The man snarled, pure hatred radiating off his body. His voice carried all the way to the shore, as if he was speaking right in front of Ruby. "She will return to me soon enough." Then he dropped back down to the ground, where the waves had been parted. They crashed back down, immediately filling up all the area that had been uncovered, and he was gone. The only hint of his departure was the flicker of a big white tail above the surface before the fog made him vanish from view.

She just stood there for a minute, staring at where he had disappeared to. That was Weiss's dad... who was a man _and _a giant fish creature thing. This was going to be hard to process, despite being able to confirm with her own eyes that everything she'd seen was true. The boat started to turn towards the docks, and she remembered that she'd left Yang and Weiss there. She ran all the way back, as fast as her feet could carry her.

The energy that she had was gone by the time she reached them. Pure adrenaline was what drove her the rest of the way, but her body felt empty when she reached Yang and Weiss. As soon as she could see they were okay, she collapsed onto her knees. Her steady breathing had become ragged panting, and she could feel her heart battering her chest. She placed her hands on her knees, coughing as drops of water fell from her hair and onto the wood. Everything was so heavy... She felt like she was about to die.

"Thank you..." She looked up to find Weiss standing in front of her. Falling to her knees as well, she tentatively put her arms around Ruby in what could best be described as a hug. "You saved me." Neither of them were comfortable in that moment. They were exhausted, soaked, and still on edge from multiple near brushes with death. However, feeling Weiss's arms around her made all those things feel lesser in comparison to the warmth that was now surging through her body.

"Hey, I helped too. Where's my hug?" Yang stood over the two of them, smirking playfully. She sunk down to the ground, placing an arm around Weiss's shoulders and resting her head on top of Ruby's. She was trying to bring some levity, but it was more forced than her usual fare. Her breathing was heavy, revealing just how exhausted she was. When she'd gotten on her boat to go after Ruby, she couldn't have expected to deal with anything close to what had just happened. Despite her strength, she only had so much in the tank to draw from.

There was a strange murmuring going on behind them. Ruby lifted her head up, eyes wide as she saw about a dozen townsfolk. They must've heard all the commotion, and they'd come down to the docks to see what was going on. Her eyes widened further when she saw a familiar face in the gathering: her dad, running right towards them. She was suddenly reminded of just how much trouble she was going to be in.

"Ruby! Yang!" Taiyang dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around both of his daughters, pulling their wet forms tightly against him. "What happened?! Where have you two been? And who is this?" His attention turned to the third shivering form in their group hug: the one he was positive was not one of his daughters. She looked up at him, then shrunk back against Ruby.

"Uh, it's kind of a long story." Ruby laughed, running a hand through her wet hair. "I think I'd like to dry off before telling you guys what happened." She noticed that Weiss was now looking at all the people who had gathered around. Several of them were looking at the strange ship in their harbors, but most were trying to see who the strange girl was in Ruby's arms. "Can you guys give me a minute with her?" All the attention must've been freaking Weiss out, and she needed to try and calm her down.

"Sure Rubes." Yang stood up and patted their dad on the shoulder, shrugging when he gave her a worried look. She wasn't sure about much of what was going on either, but she trusted Ruby to explain it all soon enough. If she needed a moment to compose herself, then she could have it. "C'mon dad, I gotta tell ya about this bangin' harpoon shot I got off on this huuuge monster fish!"

"Oh? How big?" Taiyang kissed Ruby on the top of her head, then stood up to give her some room. He and Yang walked a bit further along the dock, which allowed Ruby her moment alone with Weiss. She cupped Weiss's cheeks and lifted her head, forcing her to meet her eyes. Everything around them was new to her, and it was understandable that she was completely overwhelmed. They could both hide out at her place - AKA her dad's place - until things had calmed down, but she needed to make sure there wasn't going to be any freak outs on the way there.

"It's gonna be okay, Weiss. Your dad's gone now. I told ya I'd keep you safe." She giggled as Weiss rolled her eyes, but it seemed to relax her a bit. If she'd been fearing her dad for this much time, it would be hard for her to just believe that he wasn't going to come after her again. "And I'll keep you safe as long as you want me to. We'll go get cleaned up, and then we can figure out what to do next." She pressed her forehead against Weiss's, smiling warmly. "I'll help you get to wherever you want to be; promise."

"Where I want to be..." Weiss repeated her words, staring down for a moment. Then she locked eyes with her again, face firm with resolution. "Where I want to be is with you. You are my savior, and you're willing to house me even though you know of what terrible powers I have. The debt that I owe you can in no way be repaid, but as long as I'm by your side, I'll try my very best to do so."

"Aw, it's no big deal, really..." She rubbed the back of her neck, blushing at Weiss's words. They were so serious, but they sounded romantic in a way. It probably wasn't Weiss's intention, but it was easy to believe otherwise the longer she looked into her eyes. Now that there wasn't any present danger hounding them, she could let herself get lost in them without consequence. There was so much beauty swirling in those blues. She just wanted to close the meager distance between them: to press her lips to those that sang the most beautiful melodies...

A loud horn startled both of them, sending them reeling in opposite directions. Ruby grunted as she landed flat on her butt, looking in the direction of the sound. The boat that had saved them was pulling into the docks, coming to a stop and officially gaining everyone's attention. All the townsfolk who were there now swarmed the docks, wanting to see who this newcomer was and maybe get an explanation on what had just happened.

The crowd had surrounded the two of them, forcing Ruby to push past a couple pairs of legs to get to Weiss. She was hugging her legs to her chest, staring up fearfully at everyone. Thankfully, they all were too busy staring at the boat to realize that Weiss was there, allowing Ruby to get over and shield her in her arms. Holding onto Weiss, she helped her stand up and started to make a path through the crowd. After several grunts and "Excuse me!'s," they reached the front of the crowd. She continued to hold Weiss protectively, refusing to let anyone try to bother her. The warmth she was feeling from having such a beautiful woman so close to her was just a bonus.

Walking somewhat unsteadily down onto the docks was the same woman who had just saved them. When she finally touched ground, she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Her eyes flickered up, seemingly looking directly at Ruby and Weiss. There was a sadness in her gaze, but she was also smiling. She took a few steps forward, but her legs were wobbly and she had to grab onto a wooden dock pole for balance.

"Weiss..." Tears started to fall from her eyes as she looked upon the confused maiden, an arm reaching out as if to touch her: to see if she was truly real. "I've missed you so much..." Ruby looked down at Weiss, seeing the confusion on her face. Did she not know this woman? She certainly seemed to know _her_. There had to be some relation, though. Never in her life had she seen someone with hair that perfectly matched a winter's blanket. Seeing _three_ of them in one day? There was no way that was a coincidence, and it seemed like Weiss had realized this as well.

"Mother...?" She stepped out of Ruby's arms, walking with tentative steps towards the woman. When she was in arm's reach, the woman placed her hand gently on Weiss's cheek. Time seemed to stand still in that moment, or maybe it just felt that way to Ruby. Then Weiss fell into the woman's arms, holding onto her tightly. "Oh Mother... Where did you go? Father said that you had abandoned me... That I would never see you again."

"My darling daughter... There is so much I have to tell you." She gently rubbed Weiss's shoulders, looking over her and to the crowd again. Ruby felt like she was staring directly at her, though. She experienced a sudden rush of self-consciousness, barely able to keep herself from breaking eye contact. Was Weiss's mom mad at her for taking her away from the lighthouse? Her face conveyed too many emotions for Ruby to get a grasp on any one in particular. Then Weiss lifted her head up, seemingly saying something to her mom. She nodded once, then pointed directly at Ruby. "Please, come here."

"Me?" She pointed at herself, getting another nod. Confused, not to mention a bit scared, she walked over to the mother-daughter reunion. She felt out of place, which was compounded by knowing everyone else was staring right at her. It made her want to jump off the dock and disappear into the safety of the water. At least they wouldn't be able to see her down there. "Hey there..." She smiled awkwardly, unsure of if this was going to go well or awfully.

"You're the one who saved my daughter." Okay, this seemed to be going in a positive direction. "I couldn't possibly thank you enough for your bravery."

"It was nothing, really." All this praise was going to make her faint. "I heard her song for so long, and eventually I just couldn't stand thinking that someone was trapped over there." She was smiling and blushing, but her insides were churning as she watched the two of them interact. After falling for Weiss's song, after going through hell and back to save her, it seemed like they would separate way too soon. She just knew that Weiss would want to reconnect with her mom, which was super understandable! It just meant she was probably gonna sail away with her, since Weiss's mom was a sailor or something. She couldn't hide the disappointment on her face, no matter how hard she tried.

"Seeing as we've had quite a long trip, perhaps you would know of somewhere to stay for a few days? As long as it isn't too much trouble." Ruby perked up instantly. It wasn't much, but a few days was better than nothing. She would have time to really get to know Weiss. They'd go to the shoreline together, just like Weiss wanted. Maybe there would even be a spur of the moment kiss that led to an incredible, lifelong romance... Or maybe she was getting a teensy bit ahead of herself. Must've hit her head on the docks...

"It'd be no trouble at all! We've got the best inns on any shore, so feel free to stay as long as you like!" She looked at Weiss hopefully, wondering if this sudden turn of events wasn't what she wanted. Maybe spending time with her mom was all she wanted to do right now. However, her worries about that dissipated when Weiss stepped away from her mom's arms and stood toe to toe with her.

"I thank you for letting my mother and I stay here after all we've put you through." Well, it was _Ruby_ who had kickstarted that crazy adventure, but she decided to stay mum about that. "While these inns you speak of sound lovely, I was hoping that I could spend tonight with you." She blushed, suddenly becoming bashful. "Since you have seen my room, I would like to see yours as well."

"I... think that would be perfectly acceptable." She felt like her insides were going to erupt. Weiss wanted to stay with her, and she was unbelievably adorable blushing and being all shy like that. Keeping calm was nearly impossible, as her emotional self wanted to jump-hug Weiss in celebration. As a compromise, she pulled Weiss into a hug, which was reciprocated without hesitance. All of the doom and gloom she'd been experiencing that day was completely gone. She wasn't sure that she'd ever been this happy in her life. There was so much relief that they were all safe, and there was so much freakin' exhaustion... but there was an energy that she knew she shouldn't have in that moment. She knew Weiss wasn't singing right then, but it was definitely her that was making her feel this way.

"Wait..." She paused, remembering something odd about what Weiss's mom had said. "You said _we've _had quite a long trip, right?" Weiss's mom nodded, smiling softly. She had just let that pass through her brain, thinking that she was referring to Weiss. That didn't make any sense, though. Weiss had been with her on that entire harrowing adventure. So then... "Who's we?"

"Guess we're just having nothing but reunions today, huh?" Ruby looked up to see another woman coming down off the boat. "Kind of nice, in a sickening sort of way." She walked with a confident swagger, a pair of guns holstered on her hips. Long black hair went all the way down her back: as perfectly groomed as one's hair could be after sailing for who knows how long. It reminded Ruby of Yang's hair, actually. She'd always wondered how it was possible to keep that much hair so perfectly windswept... Maybe they used the same haircare products.

"Oh boy..." The woman put a hand on her hip, a flicker of nervousness crossing her eyes as she looked beyond Ruby. Wondering what was going on, Ruby turned around to see both Yang and their father staring with wide eyes and dropped jaws. She turned back to the woman, feeling like something should be clicking. It just wasn't hitting her yet... "Hey babe. Hey Yang." _'Babe?'_

It clearly clicked for Yang, who looked like she was either about to scream or pass out. She decided to opt for the former. "Mom?!"


End file.
